A Lost Soul
by Sweeney Todd
Summary: AU. In which Thor was never banished from Asgard. After failing to take control of Asgard, Loki finds himself on Midgard in the company of Jane Foster.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Thor or the Avengers. I'm just having fun with the characters on my spare time.

**Notes:** I really like the idea of Loki and Jane, but I found it hard to get around her relationship with Thor. So, I decided to write a story where they never met. I was originally going to write about Loki getting banished instead of Thor, but the story has already been done very well by another author. So, I came up with a different plot where Thor never came to Earth.

**Chapter 1**

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Jane drummed her pencil impatiently against her notebook. Her dark eyes scanned the night sky in earnest, searching for any sort of irregular movements. Briefly, she pondered the possibility that she was wasting her time on a fruitless effort. Still, she was far too stubborn to abandon years upon years of hard earned research. So, regardless of her previous disappointments, she pressed on with sheer determination. Maybe, just maybe, tonight the universe would deliver something substantial to add to her research.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I'm missing Steve Wilko again!" Darcy whined. "Jane, can we please just go home now?"

Jane rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Darcy, we can't just give up, because your show is on."

Erik cleared his throat before adding, "Jane, I'm well aware how much you work means to you, but I doubt we'll encounter any small miracles tonight. Our computers haven't been picking up any irregularities."

"Thank you, Erik," Darcy said. "Now, please Jane, I want to go home!"

Reluctantly, Jane closed her notebook. Disappointment was never an easy emotion to swallow. "I guess we'll call it a night then."

The engine breathed a loud roar as the old van came to life. Jane collapsed into her seat, gritting her teeth in resentment. Being a woman devoted to science, Jane was aware that a lot of her work would require countless hours of patience, but this recent string of constant disappointment was wearing down what little patience she had left.

Jane drew in a sharp breath. She peered out the window into a seemingly endless pool of stars. The New Mexican sky was simply breathtaking tonight. A bright, brilliant streak of emerald soared through the sky, and at that moment, Jane felt her heart skip a beat. Never in her life had she laid eyes on a shooting star of that shade.

"Darcy, go!" she ordered.

"Oh, come on!" Darcy exclaimed. "It's just a shooting star!"

"Just go!" Jane replied.

Darcy tossed Jane an icy glare. Then, with a pompous snort, she steered the van obediently in the direction of the falling star. Jane flipped open her notebook and kept her eyes peeled for anything to record. She bit the end of her pencil anxiously. "Please, please, please be something."

A gasp escaped her lips when her eyes caught a man lying directly in their path. "Holy shit, Darcy stop!"

Instantly, Darcy slammed on the breaks and swerved the van away from the body. As soon as the van came to a complete halt, Erik threw open the door. Hastily, Jane climbed out from the back of the van. Her heart pounded violently against her chest as she raced over to the unconscious man. She crouched next to him, briefly noting his odd taste in fashion. What on god's great earth was this man doing in the middle of nowhere?

"Do me a favor and don't be dead," Jane whispered.

Her stomach did a multitude of somersaults and cartwheels as she approached the body. Gently, she rolled him over on his back and brushed a dark strand of hair away from his face. Relief surged through her veins when she felt his cold breath against the palm of her hand. At least, she wouldn't have to explain an abandoned dead body to a group of authorities tonight.

"Um, sir, are you alright?" the back of her hand against his icy cheek, hoping to wake him. "Oh dear god, please just wake up?"

"You know, we should probably call an ambulance now?" Darcy commented.

Then, her gaze was met with a stunning pair of emerald eyes. A small smile formed upon her lips as her panic slowly began to simmer. The fact that he was conscious was enough to lift her spirits.

"Um...hello, sir," she paused momentarily, searching her mind for the right words to say. "I'm...um, Jane. Is there any way I can help you?"

"I'm fairly sure I'm capable of handling myself," he said rather abruptly.

_Well, that was rude._ Jane continued anyways, "Look, I have a vehicle. I can take you back into town and get you some help."

"Like I said, mortal, I am capable of handling myself." _Mortal? _Jane made a mental note that this man was probably on some kind of illegal substance.

"We're trying to help you," Erik finally interjected, "The least you could do is be a little bit grateful."

"Yeah," Darcy agreed. "It's a long way from town, buddy. I'd suggest you take Jane's offer if you don't want to starve out here."

Loki studied his whereabouts briefly. There was nothing but a sea of endless dirt peppered with jagged rocks. This foreign place thoroughly disgusted him. He attempted to will himself to a more suitable location, but alas, it appeared that his powers were weakened at the moment. A scowl formed across his lips. It appeared that the only solution to his dilemma was to except help from these insufferable mortals.

"I suppose I could use a method of transportation," Loki said, eying the van with absolute disgust. "That _thing_ will suffice for now."

"Ugh, Jane can we just leave him here?" Darcy complained.

"No, Darcy, we can't just leave him here," Jane scolded Darcy sharply.

A sharp, piercing sensation washed through him as he attempted to lift himself off the ground. He took a tentative step forward, but found himself stumbling forward instead. The mortal girl clutched his right arm in an attempt to help steady his balance, and despite his previous behavior, she gave him a soft, encouraging smile.

"Easy there," Jane said.

Loki mentally noted that she was possibly the least irritating of the three mortals. He supposed he'd allow her to live in the event that he conquered her weak planet. This event, he also noted, would be his first order of business upon this planet. However, at this juncture, he required rest and sustenance.

With his arm around her shoulder, Jane guided him towards the van. She helped him into the backseat and climbed in next to him. She starred him down square in the eye before buckling her seat belt. "Now, look, I'm only trying to help you. So, no being a jerk, okay?"

"I'm not making any promises." Loki replied and eyed her seat belt. "I also refuse to wear that awful contraption."

"Okay, whatever," Jane said after letting out a frustrated sigh. "Darcy, drive us back to town."

Darcy climbed into the driver's seat and glared at Loki. "Dude, if we get pulled over. I am not going to be the one to explain that get up to the cops."

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes:** WOW. Thank you so, so much for all your feedback. To answer a few of your questions: I do plan to pair Loki with Jane in later chapters, but I really want to develop Loki's character before this occurs. I don't really see him falling in love so easily especially with a mortal. I can't give a way much of the plot, but this isn't your typical fic where "Love Heals Loki". I think the character is much to complex to be redeemed that easily, and I don't really see him loving so easily or even loving someone healthily. Also, I get that Loki is initially being an ass, but I assume that he wouldn't be that welcoming to mortals instantly.

**Chapter 2**

A throbbing sensation coursed through his head, pounding and pounding relentlessly. Regardless of his seemingly endless pain, Loki attempted to recollect his memories. What exactly had happened before he landed on Midgard? He remembered Thor's rage after discovering that he had aided the frost giant's in his capture just to claim the thrown in his absence. _"My own brother...I can't even look at you!" _He remembered his father's disappointed gaze. _"No, Loki."_ He remembered allowing himself to drop into space in some sort of suicide attempt.

There was something else he was supposed to remember...

Loki pressed his palm against his forehead, trying to block out the sharp pain that ailed him. Something happened in between his descent from Asgard and his arrival on Midgard. Loki searched his memory for something, but drew a blank. He let out a sharp breath and finally decided that he'd address the subject once his memory returned to him. For now, he would turn his thoughts to furthering whatever goal he had for this wretched piece of rock.

Obviously, his suicide attempt was unsuccessful. He wasn't sure whether to be grateful or disappointed at this point. So, he deduced that he would have to continue his life in this inferior realm. If falling through an inter-dimensional rift wouldn't kill him, he concluded that suicide was not a feasible option at this point. Asgard, at the moment, was completely out of his reach. Midgard, he supposed, would be his next conquest. Now that the Bifröst no longer existed, his adoptive father and brother wouldn't be unable to obstruct any of his future plans.

His thoughts turned to the three mortals and their possible uses. The one driving, Darcy he believed her name was, was absolutely useless as far as he was concerned. Not to mention, he found her to be a very annoying creature. As of yet, he was unsure of the male. Loki's green eyes briefly scanned the other mortal next to him. She had this trusting aura to her. This could be come to his advantage if he played his cards right.

"So, I'm Jane," she said. "And, you are?"

"My name is Loki," he replied.

Jane raised her eyebrow. It wasn't a very common name, but not impossible either. "Well, um...Loki, I'd like to know why you were out in the middle of the desert."

"It's a complicated story," he replied.

"Well, when you're ready to tell me," Jane said, "I'm all ears. Do you have any family we can call?"

"I'm not from these parts," he replied.

"Okay then, can we just drop you off at your house?" Jane asked.

"I don't exactly have a place of residence," he replied.

"Alright," Darcy interrupted. "I'm really confused here. If you don't live here and you know practically no one, why the hell were passed out in the middle of no where?"

"It's obvious you're not telling us everything," Erik agreed.

Now his situation was becoming slightly more difficult. He supposed he could give them the factual account, but it was highly unlikely that they would believe him. Aside from that, he wasn't about to reveal to these mortals that he attempted to kill himself after failing to overthrow Asgard. So, he decided to take the situation in an entirely different direction...

"I don't exactly remember much at this moment," Loki replied.

"Okay, yeah..." Darcy replied. "Jane, we should probably take him to the hospital. Amnesia...uh, not good."

"No, no, no..." Loki interrupted. "I'm quite fine actually. I believe in a few hours I'll be able to recall everything. Allow me to get my bearings down first."

A brief period of silence passed. Jane rubbed her temples in frustration while debating her current options. On one hand, she probably should take him to the hospital. On the other hand, she doubted that he would cooperate with her. Her mind balanced and weighed her options.

Jane turned her gaze toward Loki. She noted his odd taste in clothing. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. She briefly remembered the green streak of light. Perhaps, he had something to do with it? No, this was just ridiculous. Months of disappointment were weighing on her mind, and all this disappointment was making her desperate.

But maybe, just maybe...

"Alright, you can stay at our place," Jane said. "If you're still...uh...having memory problems in a couple days, can you promise me that you'll see a doctor?"

Loki resisted smirking in response. It was really that easy, then? All he had to do was make a promise, and she'd simply take his word for it? By the gods, this woman was gullible.

"Yes, I promise."

"Jane," Erik said, his voice filled with concern. "I'm not sure if this is a good idea."

"Erik...just...please," Jane begged.

"Alright," Erik obliged reluctantly.

Yes, this Jane character was definitely the most tolerable of the mortals and most useful of the three. He decided that she was probably his most valuable asset at this point. Now, the hard part came in. He needed to construct some sort of story to continue to string her along. Thankfully he was a talented liar.

The rest of the car ride was unusually quiet, tense even. The unfamiliar tension between them, Jane admitted, almost made the air seem heavier. She couldn't remember a time someone made her feel this uncomfortable.

"_It's a complicated story."_

"_I don't exactly remember that much at this moment."_

Both of these statements contradicted one another, clearly showing her that this man wasn't exactly being honest with her. Her rational was pleading with her, begging her to abandon this man. However, the uncanny choice of apparel combined with his abnormally formal speech patterns piqued her curiosity just enough to ignore her better judgment. Sometimes, logic and curiosity weren't exactly a favorable combination.

A familiar aquamarine glow pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to Loki with a half smile and said, "This is my place."

Loki gave it one disinterested look. Blue neon lights illuminated a large dingy building. Off to the side of the building was a metallic box. _How disgusting._ He couldn't begin to imagine how these creatures lived their lives in such pathetic conditions. For one brief moment, he thought back to his home on Asgard. Oh, did he miss it! Not the people, of course, but the luxuries that he was accustomed to.

He refrained from commenting on their poor living conditions and followed Jane. Loki glanced around at the other buildings that surround him. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, but crusty old buildings. Midgard was an absolutely revolting realm. The way these people lived was so primitive, so barbaric. The fact that Odin even bothered to aid these people against the Jutuns baffled him.

"Are you hungry?" Jane interrupted his thoughts.

"Not exactly," his said.

This guy, he was just...well, impossible. It had been awhile since she came across someone so completely closed off. Actually, she couldn't remember meeting anyone quite so detached. To her credit, he seemed slightly more partial to her than Erik or Darcy. Maybe, if she managed to get him alone for a bit, he'd loosen up a little.

"You should see the view from the roof," she offered, her fingers ruffling the back of her hair nervously.

"I suppose," he replied.

Her lips perked up into a smile, not a forced one, but a genuine smile. The mortal girl offered him her hand, and he placed his in hers. An odd sensation washed through him at her soft touch. He regarded that it was first time, at least since he regained consciousness, he had flesh on flesh contact with one of these mortals. He did not mind it. This bothered him slightly.

"Hey Erik, I bet she only asked if he could stay so she could get some," Darcy whispered a little too loudly.

_Get some?_ Loki didn't quite comprehend what Darcy meant. Should he ask? Probably not, judging by who's mouth it came from.

"Darcy," Jane hissed. "Really? Not now."

"I wasn't being serious," Darcy replied defensively. "Jeez, maybe you need to get laid. You'd..."

"Well, _I'm_ being serious," Jane said before turning to back to Loki. "So, yeah...uh, rooftop."

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** This chapter was difficult to right. There was always this fear that the pacing might be too fast, but I'm actually content with what I wrote. Thank you for all of your reviews. I can't tell you enough how happy I am that so many people really enjoy my writing.

Chapter 2

The neon lights illuminated the rooftop in a soft aquamarine hue. Though it did not surprise him, Loki found the rooftop to be just as revolting as everything else he had seen. The mortal woman, Jane, was in the process of searching one of the rugged chairs for something she called a _match box_. Jane had asked if he was cold, but he had never been phased by winter climates...

Because, he was..._no, no, no,_ not now. _No_, he would not relive that memory.

"There!" Jane shouted in triumph. "I found you!"

Jane swiped a small wooden stick against the end of a small box. A flame now stood upon the top of the stick, and carelessly, she tossed it into a the barrel in front of her. She turned to him and said, "You're not from New Mexico, are you? You know, I'm getting the feeling you're not even from America. Are you from Britain or something?"

"Farther than that," Loki replied.

"Oh, I just thought because of your accent..." she trailed off.

The mortal girl plopped herself on the lawn chair and leaned back, her eyes transfixed on the flames flickering before them. "Sometimes I come out her just to get some peace of mind...when Darcy's whining about how boring it is out here...when Erik tries to get me to _open up_ about my break up. Stuff like that."

_Silence_.

"Darcy isn't so bad though once you get used to her. It's obvious that she doesn't care much for our research, but...she's fun to watch movies with. Some of the stuff she watches is stupid, but it can be fun because it's stupid."

Finally, a response. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you are researching?"

"Astrophysics," her eyes lit up. "Actually, right now, I'm researching this theory called the Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

"I've never heard of such a theory," Loki replied.

"Well, to put it more simply, it's this theory that you can create a rift through space," Jane paused, trying to search for simpler terms to explain her studies. "You open a rift, and you use that rift to travel to a different point in space."

This sparked a sudden interest from him. This Einstein-Rosen bridge sounded awfully familiar to the BiFrost bridge. "Do you believe there are other civilizations aside from this one?"

"Of course!" Jane exclaimed. "I mean, there has to be. The universe is a vast place. We can't be the only species capable of create civilization."

_Interesting_. Jane was vastly different than he perceived the rest of the her race. It appeared as if she were capable of seeing past her own realm. Her goals were very ambitious compared to even some of the inhabitants of his own realm. There was this keen thirst for knowledge that he admired about her.

Perhaps he would accommodate her in some way once he was in control of this realm. He hoped, maybe, they would still be acquainted by then. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to read some of your research in the future."

"Wow, uh...not very many people I talk to are interested in my work, but of course you can."

After about an hour, Jane dozed off in her chair. Loki gazed up into the stars. The constellations were unfamiliar to him, but still, the stars made him think back to Asgard. He wondered if his family mourned for him. He doubted it, but he hoped maybe they mourned just a little bit. But, still he doubted it.

* * *

_Never in his life had he seen his brother and father fight like this. Normally, he was amused when his father came down on his older brother. Not this time..._

_"You're a vain, greedy, cruel boy!" Odin shouted._

_"And, you are an old man and a fool!" Thor shouted back._

_"A fool, yes!" Odin paused. "A fool to think you were ready..."_

_"Father..." Loki pleaded. Odin stared him down, and with that, he held his tongue._

_"Thor Odinson..." Odin began. "You have disobeyed the express command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horrors of war. In the name of my father and his father before him, I now take from you your ability to wield Mjonir until you have proven yourself worthy to possess its power."_

* * *

_Chirp. Chirp. Chirp. _Jane shifted slightly, trying to return to her slumber. She wanted desperately to return to her dream. It was something wonderful, something about meeting some prince, an alien prince that granted her access to a vast amount of knowledge. _Chirp. Chirp. Chirp._ Of course, the New Mexican wildlife wasn't about to let her return to that dream. So, groggily, she stretched and rolled over.

There was a man asleep across from her. _Loki_. Her memory rushed back in waves. Last night, she happened across an oddly dressed individual in the middle of the desert, and despite her better judgment, she allowed him to camp out at her place. Oddly enough, the night ended with them discussing inter-dimensional space travel.

_What a night._

Jane debated whether she should wake her guest. She wanted to, of course. After all, it had been quite some time since a man could hold such an intellectual conversation with her instead of giving her a blank, ignorant look. No, his emerald stare ran deep, thirsting for whatever knowledge she could provide him. She decided she'd wake him before the afternoon heat set in. She paced over to the chair parallel to hers and shook him softly. His eyes snapped open.

"Hey, uh...good morning," Jane said nervously. "I guess we fell asleep out here last night. I was wondering if you wanted to sleep inside. It kind of gets really hot out here in the afternoon."

A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he set up. Though less painful, the pounding in his forehead returned to him. Not only that, but his stomach roared like an angry lion. He was completely famished. How long had it been since he'd eaten something? He couldn't even remember.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like something to eat," he spoke.

"Oh, sure, of course" Jane said almost all at once. "Actually, we could go to this one place down the street, but it'd probably be a good idea if you change into something more...uh, normal."

"At the moment, this is all I have," Loki responded.

"I'll see if I can find you something," Jane replied. "Come on."

Jane offered her hand eagerly. An odd sensation ran through her as he placed his hand in hers. She didn't know what to make of it. The last time she had felt something like this was with..._Donald Blake_...her ex. This scared her just a little. She didn't even know this man. She didn't even know the first thing about him.

Once descending down a dingy flight of stairs, Jane heard a loud snore. She spotted Erik sprawled out on the nearest coach. She mentally noted that he was probably staying as close as possible in case their guest tried to harm her. The notion made her smile just a bit.

"I'll be right back," Jane whispered before disappearing into a nearby room.

When she returned, she held a pair of black pants and a light blue dress shirt, "Erik's nephew came to visit a month ago and left these."

Loki had to mentally refrain himself from materializing the Midgardian garments onto his body. After hundreds of years of living like a god, he had grown accustom to using sorcery as a means to rush through simple, mundane tasks. Living as a mortal was not something he wanted to grow used to. Perhaps explaining a bit of history to the mortal woman wouldn't be such a terrible idea.

Loki accepted the garments from Jane and retreated into a nearby room. There were poster boards of diagrams and scribbles. Some of their research was similar to the makings of the BiFrost bridge. However, Loki doubted that their civilization was capable of replicating anything similar to the BiFrost for centuries. Still, it was interesting that these two mortals were able to come up with a few basic equations to inter-dimensional travel.

Swiftly, Loki materialized the new garments onto his body. The texture felt cheap and gritty compared to what he usually wore on Asgard. They would do for now, but he mentally noted that he would have to find better clothing in the future. Once he left the room, he was greeted with Jane's beaming face. It became apparent to him that she was getting attached to him quite quickly. It didn't seem to bother him, but he recognized that he couldn't get too close to her.

She snatched a ring of keys off the counter, and quietly she opened the sliding door. A playful grin formed across Jane's lips. "Darcy's going to be so pissed when she finds out we went out to eat without her."

* * *

"So," Jane tried again. "I want to know more about you. You could at least tell me what part of the world you're from?"

Loki looks around and leans forward. "I'm not from here."

"You told me that before," she said.

"You see," Loki replied. "If I told you the truth, I'm not quite sure if you'd believe me."

"Try me," Jane spat bluntly, staring him straight in the eye.

The waitress set down two mugs of coffee on the table. An idea began to form in his mind. He centered the mug of coffee in between his hands and said, "Allow me to demonstrate something, Jane."

Loki centered his right palm above the coffee mug. He focused, hoping that his sorcery had return to him. He could feel a tingly sensation as he levitated the black liquid from the mug. He let it drop back into the mug and watched as Jane jumped back in shock.

"What the..." she couldn't even finish her sentence.

"You see, Jane," he began. "I'm not even from your world."

"You mean, you weren't born here on Earth," Jane whispered, her words now shaken.

"No," Loki replied.

The waitress set two plates of food in front of them. Loki, obviously starving, devoured his food. He decided that he didn't mind this omelet dish much, but found it rather bland in comparison to the food in Asgard. He looked up at Jane, and noticed that she was staring at him in shock, completely uninterested in her food.

"What are you doing here, then?" Jane asked.

"It was actually an accident," Loki said. "I fell from what you would call an Einstein-Rosen bridge and landed into some sort of intergalactic anomaly, and this is where I happened to land."

"So, it's not just a theory, then?" Jane whispered, sheer excitement lighting every spec of her eyes. "All my research..."

"My people call it a rainbow bridge," Loki said. "I'm not actually fond of their name myself. I actually prefer your term for it. Before I left, it was destroyed unfortunately. I was hoping that perhaps there was a way home, but it seems as if it is only a theory to your people."

_Wow_. That came out real smooth. He watched the sympathetic look on her face. She was obviously buying every word he was telling her. Some of the things he disclosed to her were true, but obviously, he was not ready to return to Asgard at the moment. He needed to assemble an army first. Then, he could find a way to rule all the nine realms.

"You should have seen what happened last night!" Loki turned to see an middle aged mortal boasting to a rather young waitress. "So, one of my buddies found this weird stick. It won't stop glowing. We can't figure out how to turn the damn thing off."

Thanos, the Chitauri...ah, now everything was starting to come back to him. Loki stood up and grabbed the repulsive man's shoulder just a tad too tightly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to know where this _buddy_ of yours is?"

"Piss off, dude," the man replied. "I don't know you."

Loki ignored his insult and tightened his grip. "You see, he has something that belongs to me. I'd like it to be returned to me."

"Okay, okay," the man replied. "I'll tell you, but you're gonna have to get him to give it back to you."

Loki smiled. "Oh, I don't think that will be a problem."

To Be Continued

**Notes:** Please review! I love hearing from you guys! Thank you so much for your support.


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